Match-making machinery



Patented Oct. 29, 1895.

CLOUGH.) MATGE "MAKING MACHINERY. No. 548,959.

(No Model.)

UNrtE STATES 'ATENT .FFICE.

MATCH-MAKING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,959, dated October29, 1895. Application filed March 10,1894:- Serial No. 503,155- (Nomodel.)

' To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED M. CLOUGH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon, and in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatchMaking Machinery; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof,'reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of a machine containing my improvements; Fig. 2, an elevation ofthe feeding-cylinder and its driving-shaft, the full lines showing theposition of the clutch mechanism when such cylinder is connectedrotatively with its shaft, and the dotted lines the positions of theparts when said cylinder and shaft are disconnected from each other; andFig. 3, a perspective view of the clutch-operating devices separatedfrom the machine.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

In -match-coiling machines as heretofore constructed it has beennecessary to stop the entire machine or to place obstacles between thehopper and the splint-feeding wheel whenever it was desired to arrestthe feedingtof splints. Both of such methods are open toobjections,which it is theobject of my invention to obviate, to whichend my said invention consists in a coiling-machine in which thefeeding-cylinder is adapted to be rotatively connected with ordisconnected from the driving mechanism without interference with themotion of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafterspecified.

My invention is applicable to any form or construction of acoiling-machine; but for convenience I will show its application to thewell-known Beecher machine, in which there is journaled within one endof a suitable frame A a shaft B, that is provided upon one end with agear-wheel G, which is suitably connected with and driven by the poweremployed for operating the machine and upon its central portion hasjournaled a cylinder D, that peripherally is provided with longitudinalgrooves d d, &c., which are parallel with each other and with the.axis'of such cylinder and have such transverse dimensions as to enableeach to receive and contain a match-splint E.

In front of and above the cylinder D is a hopperF, which at its lowerfront portion is open and embraces said cylinder, so that matchsplints Eand E placed in such hopper will have contact with the grooved peripheryof said cylinder, and, by the rotation of the latter in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig.1, will be successively caught within thegrooves d and d and carried upward and forward, and when at apointslightly beyond the'upper side of the cylinder each will have each ofits projecting ends engaged by the teeth 9 and g of the transfer-wheel Gand be lifted from out of its groove and'carried forward to'anddeposited within the grooves h and -h of a second transfer-wheel H,which is secured upona shaft I in such position as to cause its toothedperiphery to overlap the toothed periphery of said transfer-wheel.

The cylinder D and transfer-wheels G and H all rotate in the samedirection, and around a roller K, which is journaled upon the shaft Iadjacent to the wheel H, a tape it passes upward and forward andiscoiled around a spool L upon a shaft Z, located above said shaft I,which spool is caused to rotate, so as to draw said tape upward at apredetermined rate of speed with reference to the rotation of saidtransfer-wheel H, the arrangement being such as to cause thematch-splints when they reach the upper center of such transfer-wheel topass between the upper surface of said tape and the lower surface of theouter coil of said spool and be carried around and firmly held withinthe coils, as shown.

The cylinder D is held in position longitudinally upon the shaft B byany of the usual means and, rotatively, is connected therewith by meansof a collar M, which is held in place rotatively by a key m, thatpermits free longitudinal movement upon the shaft and at one end isprovided with a series of ratchetteeth 1% m, &c., which are adapted toengage with a series of similar but oppositely-arranged teeth d' d, &c.,that are provided upon the adjacent ends of said cylinder, thearrangement being such that when said clutchcollar is moved toward saidcylinder said teeth caused to rotate with said shaft, while when saidclutch is moved in an opposite direction said parts will be disconnectedfrom each other and said cylinder cease its motion.

The clutch-collar M is moved into or out of engaging position by meansof aring n, which isjournaled loosely within a peripheral groove m aforked arm n, which projects upward from a sliding bar N and has itsends pivoted upon such ring, and a lever O, that is pivoted centrallyupon a stationary support P and has one end loosely engaged with saidbar, so that by moving the outer end of such lever in one direction,said clutch-collar will be moved into engagement with the cylinder D,while an opposite movement of said lever will cause the disengagement ofsaid parts.

As it is desirable that the rotation of the cylinder D should instantlycease when it is disengaged from its shaft B, a spring arm 92 projectsupward from the bar N in such position as to cause its upper end toengage with the contiguous end of said cylinder at the instant when theclutch-teeth d'and 'm' are disconnected, and when it'acts as a brake andarrests the further motion of said cylinder, while the re-engagement ofsaid ratchet-teeth will cause said brake-arm to be moved away from saidcylinder, so as to leave the latter free to rotate again.

The feed-cylinder and trani-fer-wheels have certain relativecircumferential positions in order that the match-splints may pass fromone to the other with certainty, and such relations are preserved bycausing the number of clutch-teeth to bear a proper relation to thenumber of splint-grooves in said cylinder.

By the construction shown the action of the machine may be instantlyarrested and as quickly started without interference with the movementsof any part, except the feeding-cylinder. If desired, instead ofeffecting such object by the disconnecting of the feeding-cylinder andits shaft, the same result may be secured by connecting such shaft withits driving-gear by means of a separable clutch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a machine forcoiling match splints, in combination with the coiling devices, and thefeeding device from which the splints are transferred to a tape or suchdevices, means outside of the tape for driving the feed device,connections between such driving means and the feeding device, adaptedto allow the feeding device to be stopped, without stopping the coilingdevices, and means for so stopping the feeding device, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a machine for coiling match splints,

in combination with the coiling devices having one or more tapes, afeeding device from which the splints are transferred to the coilingdevices, a rotary part outside of the coiling devices, connectionsbetween such part and the feeding device, whereby the latter is driven,and means for stopping the feeding device independently of the coilingdevices, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. In a machine for coiling match-splints, in combination with thefeeding and coiling devices and means for driving the same, a clutchmechanism interposed between the feeding device and the means fordriving it, whereby such feeding device may be thrown out of actionindependently of the coiling devices, and a brake to engage the feedingdevice, after it has been disconnected from the means for driving it,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a machine for coiling match-splints, in combination with thecoiling devices and means for driving the same, the groovedfeedcylinder, a rotating part from which the cylder is driven, shiftableconnections between such part and the cylinder, whereby the latter canbe disconnected from the rotary part at will without stopping thecoiling devices, and a source of supply from which the cylinder receivesits splints, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

5. In a machine for coiling match-splints, in combination with arotating grooved feedcylinder, and a rotating shaft upon which it isloosely mounted, clutch mechanism whereby the cylinder can be connectedwith and disconnected from the shaft, and the brake for the cylinderconnected with the clutchmechanism, so as to be thrown into operation,when the cylinder has been disconnected from the shaft, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

6. In a machine for coiling match splints, in combination with thecoiling devices, a source of supply of splints, a grooved feed cylindertaking the splints from such source of supply, a transfer device takingthe splints from the cylinder and passing them on toward the tape of thecoiler, means for driving the cylinder and coiling devices, and asuitable clutch device for connecting the cylinder with or disconnectingit from the driving means without stopping the coiling devices,substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this28th day of February, 1894.

FRED M. CLOUGH. Witnesses:

HENRY O. HAZARD, GEo. S. PRINDLE.

